The TUC's Greenworkplaces projects show how unions are leading the way with a wide range of imaginative initiatives on energy saving at work, waste reduction, recycling, green travel plans and many other ideas. Over 1,300 green reps replied to the 2009 survey of green workplaces carried out for the TUC by the Labour Research Department (LRD), so clearly a lot is happening out there!

The TUC is currently working with unions and management to deliver training and support in projects at, for example, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Leicester City Council, The National Library of Scotland, Corus, the National Union of Teachers, who are greening their own workplace, and a major initiative at United Utilities. The union network of greenworkplace projects is expanding through the South West TUC’s GreenWorkplaces project, now well underway in that region. Also, a successful bid by a consortium of four unions (PCS, UCU, CWU and NUT) for Defra funding has led to the Climate Solidarity project, which aims to build community/workplace links for greening working and living.

A number of affiliates also run their own environmental courses. The TUC’s GreenWorkplaces projects all include joint union/management training programmes. Whilst we don’t have a database for those trained, we are confident that we are approaching the 1,000 mark.

The TUC wants statutory rights for trade union environment reps – both in terms of training and facility time. Unions want the statutory right for workplace environmental representatives to take reasonable time off during working hours to:

The TUC wants the law changed to allow amendments to be made to the ACAS code of practice, Time off for trade union duties and activities. In TUC GreenWorkplaces projects, and many other workplaces, unions have, on an ad-hoc basis, been extending their rights to cover an ever widening environmental agenda at work to tackle climate change. We are looking for a change in the law to make the position of union green reps absolutely clear.

Touchstone Extras #14 | Download Money to Burn? Driving energy efficiency in the commercial sector [PDF] Although there are many examples of businesses seriously improving their building’s ‘footprint’, this often happens despite, rather than because of, help from good government schemes. This Touchstone Extra sets out the need to improve...

Frances O’Grady was one of the speakers at the TUC national green conference, Can we ever build a green economy? Thursday 6 November 2014. For more information about the conference visit http://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/past-and-future-events/can-we-ever-build-green-economy Thanks Sue [Ferns]/ hard work as General Council lead on the environment. And thanks everybody for coming, not...

This week, MPs are expected to hold a special debate on the future of the UK’s energy intensive industries. This Briefing argues that it’s vital to secure these “foundation” industries in our future low carbon economy. We have welcomed government support programmes which provide relief from energy costs, yet much...

The Labour shadow energy Minister Tom Greatrex MP was the keynote speaker, focusing on the rights and responsibilities of trade union reps in building sustainable workplaces. We launched new findings from the Labour Research Department’s study of the “union effect” on greening the workplace . It was our 10th annual...

GREENING THE WORKPLACE – BUILDING THE UNION EFFECT, 11 JULY 2014 Speech by Kay Carberry, TUC Assistant General Secretary Key points from the new Labour Research Department report for the TUC on the union effect in greening our workplaces. New rights for environmental reps.